Coping With Colic

April 4, 2013

(NAPSI)—If you ever find yourself walking the floor with a colicky baby, heres something you may find comforting: Youre not alone.

In fact, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, colica condition where otherwise healthy newborn babies cry for more than three hours a day, for three days a week, for more than three weeks in a rowaffects an estimated 20 percent of newborns in the U.S.and nearly 80 percent of pregnant women are concerned their baby might have it.

Colic can be a physically and emotionally exhausting experience for families, and many parents dont know what to do to help relieve their babys discomfort, says pediatrician, author and renowned childrens health expert Dr. Alan Greene. Several colic solutions have been demonstrated to be effective for some children.

The Doctors Advice

Motion. Gentle movement, whether from a swing, a car ride, a ride in a stroller or a parents arms.

Massage. Baby belly massage can help.

Changing the mothers diet. For breast-fed babies, eliminating certain foods can helpespecially if theres asthma, eczema or allergies in the family.

Changing to a hypoallergenic formula.

Changing feeding technique. Switching from nursing at both breasts at each feed to prolonged emptying of one breast cut colic in half in one study. Sucking on a pacifier or thumb between feeds can also help.

Changing bottles. Nearly 80 percent of moms with colicky babies say bottles play a role in reducing the symptoms. Any bottle change can produce improvement in some babies, but in one clinical trial, switching to Born Free bottles with ActiveFlow made a significant difference for 80 percent of babies.

Breast is best when possible, Dr. Greene says, but for the times parents use bottles, those developed to help reduce gas, like Born Free bottles, can be beneficial.

A leader in premium infant feeding products, Born Free clinically designed the unique ActiveFlow Venting Technology to reduce colic and gas. The two-part venting system was modeled after natural milk flow to reduce the amount of air ingested, compared to other bottles, and offer babies a calm feeding experience.